Quote:
Originally Posted by ProDarwin
Long, old thread, so this has probably been covered.
RE: The original post: In the street tire autocross world, if it's raining, it is commonplace to lower tire pressure by ~10psi. Overinflated tires are not good for wet traction. I see the 65+ article has been change to reflect "mixed opinions".
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I've been in some bad hydroplaning situations, so I kinda believe this test.
Tire Tech Information - Air Pressure vs. Wet Performance
"Members of the Tire Rack team had the chance to experience the effects of air pressure on wet performance at Michelin's Laurens Proving Grounds. Drivers were given the opportunity to compare identical cars on a wet-handling course with the exception of one car having four properly inflated tires (35 psi) and the other car having significantly underinflated tires on the rear axle (25 psi).
While driving at the edge of a tire's ability in wet conditions is challenging, the car with the properly inflated tires provide handling that was predictable. Driving the car with the underinflated rear tires proved to be much more difficult to drive and forced the driver to slow down to retain control, producing lap times that were several seconds slower than the properly inflated car.
While tire manufacturers can develop tires with great hydroplaning resistance and wet traction, poor maintenance of tire inflation pressures can make a great tire awful."
Guess which tire is underinflated..